Co-registered pulse-echo/photoacoustic transvaginal probe for real time imaging of ovarian tissue.

We present the design and construction of a prototype imaging probe capable of co-registered pulse-echo ultrasound and photoacoustic (optoacoustic) imaging in real time. The probe consists of 36 fibers of 200 micron core diameter each that are distributed around a commercial transvaginal ultrasound transducer, and housed in a protective shield. Its performance was demonstrated by two sets of experiments. The first set involved imaging of blood flowing through a tube mimicking a blood vessel, the second set involved imaging of human ovaries ex vivo. The results suggest that the system along with the probe has great potential for imaging and characterizing of ovarian tissue in vivo.